Do you need a phone line to get broadband?
9th November, 2020 | Home / Blog / Understanding broadband / Do you need a phone line to get broadband?Reading time: 11 minutes
Do you need a phone line to get broadband?
No, you don’t need a phone line to get broadband.
Quick links:
- What broadband do you need a phone line for?
- Why are people going without a landline?
- What if I like the services of a phone line?
- When was it introduced?
- FAQs
What broadband do you need a phone line for?
| Type of broadband | Phone line needed |
|---|---|
| Fibre broadband | No |
| Mobile broadband | No |
| Satellite broadband | No |
| ADSL broadband | Yes |
Let’s look at each broadband type
Do I need a landline telephone with ADSL broadband?
Yes. You need an active phone line if you’re using an ADSL connection because it uses copper wires to connect.
If you’re using this type of broadband service but your average speeds just aren’t cutting it, fibre optic broadband services could be the best option.
You can find out more about ADSL vs fibre cables. Learn the difference and which is the better broadband.
Does fibre optic broadband need a phone line?
No. You don’t need a phone line for full fibre broadband. And it’s as fast as you need it to be.
That’s one of the great benefits of choosing our full fibre broadband.
Fibre broadband doesn’t require the old copper telephone wires that lots of UK providers need to deliver broadband connections. Instead, fibre optic cables are used. These fibre cables run directly from the exchange, all the way to your house. Meaning it is a full fibre connection, also known as fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP).
So no more copper phone lines. You can choose a broadband package with Airband and get much faster average speeds, instead of being stuck with a home phone line.
If you’d like to find out more about fibre-to-the-premises, you can learn what is fibre?
Does mobile broadband require a phone line?
No, you can get mobile broadband without a landline.
You’ll likely have seen mobile broadband deals from the likes of most providers, including Virgin Media and Vodafone. But you’ll often see broadband prices are higher if you choose mobile broadband.
You might also find data limits on a mobile broadband only package. So you’re not actually getting unlimited data. It’s worth considering whether this will work for you when you compare broadband.
Lots of people who live in the more remote parts of the UK and try to use their mobile phones to get internet can struggle if they can’t get a signal through their phone network.
That’s why a broadband only deal can work well, if you can’t access your mobile data properly, or you’re not happy with your landline broadband.
Does satellite broadband need a phone line?
No, satellite broadband doesn’t require a copper phone line to get an internet connection.
However, satellite broadband is not widely available in the UK. It can be an option if you can’t get a good mobile broadband, but is also expensive compared to other broadband options and can be unreliable.
But Airband believes everyone should be able to get broadband without a landline. That’s why Airband is working hard to deliver not only wireless broadband (which is also known as our fixed wireless broadband service), as well as our fibre broadband connection.
Why are people going without a landline?
People are choosing to not use the landline because it’s very easy to contact people via other means these days. A phone line used to be the easiest way to get in touch with your friends, but these days, a WhatsApp group chat can organise a soiree in 30 seconds flat.
Another big reason lots of us had a phone line was because you had to have one to get a broadband connection. But in recent years, the inseparable pair have grown apart as new packages have allowed consumers to split their needs for internet and a landline.
What if I like the services of a phone line?
No problem! You can get broadband with VoIP.
Getting a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service will allow you to make or receive calls on a handset via the Internet! In fact, if you’ve ever used Skype or WhatsApp, you’ve already used a VoIP service.
At Airband, we offer our own VoIP service called Airband Talk. Airband Talk can be added to our fibre packages from just £4/month.
When was the landline introduced?
So, the landline telephone was introduced on March 10, 1876, by Alexander Graham Bell.
FAQS: Getting broadband without a phone line?
Below are some of the most common questions we’ve heard about getting broadband without having to pay for a phone line.
Can I get broadband without a phone line?
Yes! Independent service providers can often provide broadband without a phone line, particularly if they use fixed wireless internet or fibre solutions. As both these technologies do not use traditional copper cables, they do not require you to have a phone line.
Is full fibre better than cable broadband?
Yes, Airband recommends broadband by fibre cables rather than cable broadband. You can only get a cable connection through Virgin Media broadband.
But shop around first, especially if you’re in the more rural areas of the UK. Airband are specialists in bringing fibre broadband to rural areas, making sure there is more coverage of fibre broadband even in the hardest to reach places. So you’re much more likely to get broadband speeds that you can rely on.
For a broadband only deal, without the line rental, check out these broadband packages.
Is broadband without a landline cheaper?
Most UK providers, but not all, use your phone network to connect you to both broadband and your phone services. That’s why providers tend to ask you to pay line rental. So if you want to get broadband without a phone, there are lots of broadband only deals you can look at.
What are the benefits of broadband without the landline?
There are lots of benefits to choosing a broadband service that doesn’t require a landline connection. You’ll love them.
- It’s super easy and quick for you to get set up
- You don’t have to have your phone line – and you’ll get ultrafast broadband
- You get to banish buffering issues – finally, smooth-running Netflix nights in!
How much does a VoIP service cost?
Our VoIP packages start from £4/month. However, similar to mobile phone contracts, you can pay more money for more minutes. The best part is that most VoIP providers offer free calls, so when you combine cutting out line rental and paying for calls, you can save an average of £15 a month!
Want more info? Head to: What is VoIP and can I get it?
Can I keep my phone number or handset with a VoIP service?
You can keep both. VoIP providers can keep your home phone number the same if you request that they do so. Furthermore, most phone handsets can be used for VoIP services just by fitting a small adapter.
How do I get a VoIP service with one of the broadband providers?
You can ring your broadband provider for advice. If you are currently an Airband fibre customer, you can contact us to add Airband Talk to your package. If you are not currently an Airband customer, but wish to sign up, you can use our coverage checker to see if you’re in coverage.
If you have been bugged by your line rental charges, and fancy ultrafast internet without a phone line, why not head on over to our broadband coverage checker and see if Airband is widely available in your area to help you out?
What broadband speed can I get?
You might be able to get from 40Mbps on our Fibre 40, or get up to 900Mbps with our Fibre 900 package. Head to our full locations: Broadband in rural areas in the UK.
Our Fibre 40 is one of our cheaper broadband packages. We’ve worked hard to bring you more affordable fibre broadband since the cost of living crisis.
Different speeds are available depending on availability and what package you choose. We’ve broken down what download and upload speeds you can expect when you choose different packages with Airband.
What full fibre broadband package can I get?
Airband offers multiple full fibre packages that deliver different download speeds to its broadband customers, depending on which package you get.
Find the best broadband deal without the line rental costs.
What’s the difference between superfast and ultrafast broadband though? Discover more.
How does broadband without a landline work?
Whether you get our fixed wireless or fibre-to-the-premises broadband, Airband engineers will come out to your premise and get you up and running in no time.
What is fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP)?
What is fixed wireless broadband?
Find out how it actually works.
How much does it cost to get ultrafast internet without a phone line?
It can vary, based on whether you choose fibre or wireless broadband. Lots of broadband providers offer different packages per month depending on the average speed you’ll get.
Some internet providers, like Virgin Media, might provide broadband deals over longer periods, e.g. over a 24 month contract.
So, when you’re comparing packages, be sure to have a think about what length of contract suits you best – and of course, whether you need a line rental and the landline costs that come with it.
Find out our broadband packages and costs.
Alternatively, head to our broadband coverage checker to see if you can get ultrafast broadband. Or, have a read of these:
- What is fibre broadband?
- What is the difference between FTTC and FTTP?
- What is the difference between broadband and WiFi?
Related Articles
Check availability:
